Monday, October 22, 2001

Traces Of Anthrax In Dan Rather's Office

Traces of anthrax were found in Dan Rather's office, CBS News announced Monday, but in amounts so small that the anchorman and an assistant who has already contracted skin anthrax continue to use the space. The findings, from the city Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, buttress what has been an assumption: that the assistant, who opens Rather's mail, encountered the spores at CBS. “As anticipated, we have found some traces of anthrax in Dan's anteroom and office,” CBS News President Andrew Heyward said in a memo to employees. “So far, although this is not a final result, there is no evidence of anthrax in the newsroom or anywhere else we tested.” He said that the findings do not indicate any danger and that the CDC and the New York City health department advised “that it is safe to continue working in all parts of the building.” For more information, go to CBSNEWYORK.com.